Author Archives: mike

Gary Farrell: New Releases 2015-2016 Russian River Valley

Posted on July 5, 2017 by mike

These new releases from the Gary Farrell Winery are mainly from the 2015 vintage, which was another great year for the winery and Russian River Valley. While the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay crops were small to moderate in size, the quality … Continue reading →

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Stinson Vineyards of Virginia: New Releases

Posted on July 3, 2017 by mike

We are pleased to have the opportunity to review Stinson Vineyards’ new releases.  We have been tasting their wines over the past four years and have been increasingly impressed with the improvements in quality and their experimentation with new varieties.  … Continue reading →

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Smith-Madrone: Current Releases from Spring Mountain District Napa Valley

Posted on June 30, 2017 by mike

Smith-Madrone is a small winery located in the Spring Mountain District of Napa Valley.  Founded in 1971 by Stuart Smith, managing partner and enologist, the winery’s vineyards, which are part of a 200-acre ranch sit at between 1,300 and 2,000 … Continue reading →

Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon, California, Chardonnay, Red Wine, White Wine, Wine Type | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Gary Farrell Winery: More New Releases from the 2014 Vintage in Russian River Valley

Posted on May 10, 2017 by mike

Here are more stunning releases from the 2014 vintage by Gary Farrell Winery.   The 2014 vintage in Russian River Valley was one of the finest in recent memory, notwithstanding the continuation of drought conditions.  Many of the vineyards experienced lower … Continue reading →

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Enkidu Winery: New Releases

Posted on May 3, 2017 by mike

Enkidu is a small artisanal winery owned and operated by Phil Staehle.  It produces a wide variety of handcrafted wines of high quality and originality from its custom crush facility in Sonoma,  sourcing grapes from top vineyards such as Bedrock … Continue reading →

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The Farm Winery: 2013-14 New Releases from Paso Robles

Posted on December 23, 2016 by mike

These six new 2013 and 2014  releases from The Farm Winery in Paso Robles are terrific.  We are enthusiastic about them because they reveal outstanding vineyard management and restrained winemaking.   As a group these wines offer fruit forward purity, … Continue reading →

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A Magnificent Wine Dinner for the Holidays by Two Outstanding Chefs

Posted on December 16, 2016 by mike

Two outstanding chefs, Domenico Cornacchia of Assaggi Osteria (right) and Driss Zahidi of Evo Bistro (left)  joined forces last evening preparing a magnificent holiday dinner for their customers.  The dinner was held at Assaggi Osteria in McLean, VA. 

Posted in Fortified, Italy, Portugal, Portuguese, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

New Releases from David Ramey’s Sidebar Cellars

Posted on November 18, 2016 by mike

Sidebar Cellars is a new venture by David Ramey, one of California’s finest winemakers.  Ramey Wine Cellars is best known for its outstanding  hand-crafted  premium wines (Chardonnays, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah).  These wines are in the medium-price range and consist … Continue reading →

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Stunning New Releases from Sicily’s Passopisciaro

Posted on November 13, 2016 by mike

Located on the volcanic slopes of Mt. Etna, Passopisciaro is an ancient vineyard which produces some of Sicily’s finest wines.   It is owned by Andrea Franchetti, who pioneered the development of wine on Mt. Etna at the turn of the … Continue reading →

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Gary Farrell Winery: More New 2014 Releases: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Zinfandel

Posted on October 13, 2016 by mike

This is the second installment of our reviews of Gary Farrell’s new 2014 releases of single-vineyard Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs and two single vineyard Zinfandels.  Readers who missed the previous reviews can find them here.  The wines reviewed here are … Continue reading →

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